Joe Biden, the Democratic challenger of President Trump for November Elections has blasted his rival for a move to replace the later Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in a haste ahead of General elections. The Republican President currently in charge of WH has announced he will next week nominate a woman for the replacement of the late Judge.
Biden has appealed the Republicans in Senate to postpone the confirmation vote for the replacement of longstanding justice. Earlier, Ginsburg, a liberal icon and feminist standard-bearer passed away on Friday aged 87. Democrats concerned with the move think the vote will disturb the balance in the country’s highest court which already represents the conservative majority. The ideological balance of the 9-member court is critical to its rulings on the issues of key importance in the country.
Biden
Addressing at the Constitutional Center in Philadelphia on Sunday, the former VP alleged that the President had “made clear this is about power, pure and simple”.
“The United States constitution allows Americans the chance to be heard – and their voice should be heard… they should make it clear, they will not stand for this abuse of power,” he said.
“I appeal to those Senate Republicans – please follow your conscience, let the people speak, cool the flames that have been engulfing our country,” he said.
“Don’t vote to confirm anyone nominated under the circumstances President Trump and Senator McConnel created. Don’t go there.”
Republican senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski have rendered their support for the delay in the voting until after November’s presidential election. If two more Republicans back the idea in the house they will be able to block or at minimum delay a confirmation vote as the GOP – with six seats – don’t have the majority in Senate. If the vote is a tie, the United States constitution permits VP Mike pence to drop a tie-breaking vote.
In a bid to avoid the deadlock on the swearing in of the new justice, the McConnel has contacted Republicans for the support and has already secured the backing Republican Senator Lamar Alexander, a potential swing vote. On Sunday Alexander said the US Constitution “gives senators the power” to exercise their vote on a Supreme Court nomination at any time including election year.
Biden has expressed that if he won the Presidential vote, Trump’s nominee should be withdrawn and he would then consult senators from both parties before tabling his choice. The Democrat added that it would not be right to present his choice of potential Supreme Court nominees as this could politicize their nomination making them vulnerable to political attacks. But he assured his first choice for the supreme court “will make history as the first African American woman on the court”.
Trump on the Replacement of Ginsburg
Trump has pledged to nominate Ginsburg’s successor “without delay”.
“I think it should be a woman because I actually like women much more than men,” he expressed his choice at a campaign rally in Fayetteville, North Carolina on Saturday.
Earlier, the Republican lauded two judges who serve on federal courts of appeals as the potential replacements for Ginsburg. The Judges Barbara Lagoa and Amy Coney Barrett are both conservatives who would change the balance of upper echelon of Judiciary in favor of conservatives or Republicans.
Democrats have vehemently voiced their opposition to the idea of any nomination before the conclusion of November’s election arguing that Senate Republicans blocked their President Obama’s nominee for the top US court during his last term. In 2016, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnel justified the disagreement on grounds that it was an election year. However, on Friday McConnel said he will approve of any nomination put forward by Trump and bring it to the confirmation vote in Senate without waiting for elections.
